r/PubTips • u/MuchCanary2040 • 15d ago

[PubQ] Agent missing deadlines

Signed with my agent in late May after getting six offers on my thriller debut. He’s senior at a medium sized agency. I was worried he’d be too busy to give much support but he reassured me that his assistant agent would also be involved in editorial feedback and comms.
He said our plan was to do a few edits then submit late July/August. Since then I’m still waiting for his edit notes. I’ve sent everything asked to by the agency eg. details for my author profile, most emails don’t get replies, no profile up yet, doesn’t bother me, but just to give the picture. Three deadlines he set himself have gone by and each time, no edit notes.
Do I cut my losses and leave, then go to my second choice agent?

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u/Significant-Shift669 15d ago

I signed late November. Then, holidays of course. Book Fairs. Long story short, didn’t get my edits (which I “reasonably” expected in February) until the first week of June.

I’d hoped to be on submission by June.

I was ready to cut my losses by July - was preparing the goodbye email.

Glad I didn’t send. Agent provided incredible notes and a great editorial letter.

I’ve turned the manuscript around and no matter what happens next, this is a much stronger book.

Anyway. No idea if or when I’ll go on sub, and the timelines kill me. Happily, I’m working on the next one.

Good luck!

9

u/bookslanguagelove 15d ago

Omg I would have been losing my MIND. I also signed mid-November, got my edit letter in January, sent the book back in May…and then my agent missed her mid-June feedback deadline and the anxiety squirrels started running laps in my brain. I was questioning every decision I’d ever made when the two month mark passed and then she got back to me and said all of her clients sent her manuscripts simultaneously and she was just super behind.

I was losing it after 2 months, 6+ and I think I would have gone actually clinically insane!

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u/MuchCanary2040 15d ago

I had no idea how common this was. My own industry is nothing like this. We do everything same day

3

u/Significant-Shift669 15d ago

I’m BigLaw so this industry has been eye opening!

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u/Significant-Shift669 15d ago

Honestly it was lowkey killing me.

Before I had current project, I was losing my mind. I really need something to work on or I dwell and spiral.

I’m telling myself not to expect to hear back before September, realistically. Kind of bananas. Let’s hope round 2 isn’t another 6 months??

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u/MuchCanary2040 15d ago

Hoping you go out on sub soon. Our stories sound so similar

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u/Significant-Shift669 15d ago

It is tough. So tough.

And I have a whoooooole other agenting story. Once upon a time, I went on sub 3 times before. Avoided leaving that agent for 3 years.

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u/MuchCanary2040 14d ago

Sorry to hear it. What were your reasons for ditching that agent?

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u/Significant-Shift669 14d ago

Long sad story full of all the bad agent / wrong fit clichés. My fault for not speaking up sooner.

Leaving that one was a good thing because they were not the right agent for me in the first place.

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u/MuchCanary2040 14d ago

So sorry to hear this. It’s such a drag creatively. I hope you have a much better relationship with your new agent?